


Chase Away the Silence

by juliabsquared



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Inspired by favorite songs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 12:57:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20582876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliabsquared/pseuds/juliabsquared
Summary: Nighttime in the Underworld was perfectly silent... not unlike the peaceful hush that fell over the world during a snowfall, muffling everything. So when an anguished cry pulled her out of her dreamless sleep, she sat up and searched frantically for the source of the sound. “Hades?” She looked over to the blankets stirring next to her. “Hades, are you all right?”Persephone learns the full extent of Hades’s nightmares, and does what she can to comfort him.





	Chase Away the Silence

**Author's Note:**

> The song referenced in this story is [”This Wild Ride”](https://youtu.be/a94hiA-_xeY) from the album _Upside Down Flowers_ by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. It’s one of my absolute favorites (which is saying something since I love literally all of his music). I think this song has a lot of meanings to a lot of different people but the common denominator among all of these is love, and a fierce desire to protect and cherish those around us. Personally, it’s a song I listen to when my anxiety refuses to let me fall asleep, and I hope this fic conveys how much it soothes me (and how much I love Andrew’s music).

Nighttime in the Underworld was perfectly silent. No wind blowing, no crickets chirping, nothing to make a sound. Some might find it eerie, but to Persephone the quiet was comforting, like a knitted blanket she could wrap herself in. It was not unlike the peaceful hush that fell over the world during a snowfall, muffling everything. So when an anguished cry pulled her out of her dreamless sleep, she sat up and searched frantically for the source of the sound. “Hades?” She looked over to the blankets stirring next to her. “Hades, are you all right?”

He had awoken with a start and was still in the throes of whatever dread had plagued him in his sleep. Trembling and gasping for breath, he looked around the room, eyes wild and unfocused. Persephone had suffered enough nightmares to know that this must have been a particularly nasty one. She tried to comfort him. 

“Shhh…” she whispered, smoothing out the sheets that covered him. “It’s all right, you’re safe here. It was just a dream. You’re safe.” Persephone brushed a stray lock of silver-white hair away from his eyes. It was damp with sweat. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hades sat up, shaking his head. “I’m- I’m s-sorry I woke you…” he managed to say. He wouldn’t look at her, eyes focusing up at the ceiling instead. 

“Shhh, don’t apologize.” Her heart ached to see how upset he was. Gently she rubbed slow-moving circles into his back. “Breathe, that’s it. Here, just close your eyes–”

“No!” He tensed.

“I’m sorry!” Persephone withdrew her hand as if it had burned him. Had she just made everything a million times worse? “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s my fault, sweetness. I… ” He drew a ragged breath and explained, “It’s just that when I close my eyes, it's like I’m back there. I see… _ him _. I’m being swallowed and then it’s just… nothing. Darkness and pain.” He shuddered. 

“Hades. This is _ not _ your fault. I can’t even imagine.” Persephone had nightmares about Apollo, but thanks to the bi-weekly visits with her therapist those were becoming fewer and farther between. And she knew her trauma was something she could work through; she was learning to trust people while still being cautious, learning to trust her instincts above all. What that asshole did would _ not _ define her. But Persephone couldn’t fathom spending years in complete and utter desolation. The silence to her was comforting, but to him it was oppressive. She wished more than anything for a way to ease his suffering. An idea came to her.

She whistled softly. “Cerberus, come here.” A dark shape bounded into the bedroom and onto the bed. The hellhound licked her on the chin. “Here,” she told him, “you keep your dad company. I’ll be right back.” Persephone slid out of bed and padded into the hallway, but not before turning back to Hades and pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

In the kitchen, she filled the kettle and set it on the stove to boil, letting her mind wander. 

This was the first time she’d witnessed one of his nightmares, but from the looks of it they were a regular occurrence. She and Hades were still learning about each other, she knew. It probably was like that in any new relationship. Persephone knew about the Titanomachy, of course, had heard the stories and seen his scars. But, she realized now, she had no idea the actual depth of the trauma he’d suffered. 

The water now boiling, she poured it into a mug and produced a handful of plants to steep the tea. Lavender to calm anxiety, valerian for sleep, and limeroot to chase away the bad dreams. Persephone carried the steaming mug back to the bedroom. Hades was still staring at the ceiling, glassy-eyed. “Here.” She gave him the mug, wrapping both his hands around it. He made the mug seem tiny by comparison. “Drink this, it’ll help.”

“Thanks,” he whispered hoarsely, and sipped at the tea. His face glistened and she realized why he’d been looking up at the ceiling all this time. It was all he could do to keep the tears from falling. “I really mean it. Nobody’s ever gone out of their way for me like this before.” 

“Nobody?” Her heart broke for him all over again. How could anyone see him hurting and not want to make it better? “I’m so sorry.” It was her turn to try to hold back tears. She squeezed his hand, wanting to never let go, willing to do anything to ensure he never felt that kind of loneliness ever again. “Truly, I am. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”

She couldn’t fix what had happened to him, but she could at least chase away the silence that surrounded them. “Try closing your eyes again, and this time just focus on my voice.” Persephone laid down and motioned for him to rest his head against her chest. He did, and she began to sing softly. 

_ Sleep tight, I will come to your defense _  
_ Whatever road you’re taking _  
_ Tonight I know nothing’s making sense _  
_ But I’ll guard the room you’ll wake in _

She gazed at him as if willing his nightmares to stay away, and combed her fingers gently through his hair. For the first time since waking up, he seemed to relax a little. Gradually his eyes drifted shut. The ache deep in her chest was soothed a little. 

_ Close your eyes, follow the sound of my voice _  
_ My voice, I’m gonna sing _  
_ You are the boat, I’m the ocean that rocks you to sleep _  
_ You’re the balloon, I’m the ballast attached to the strings _  
_ When you’re in too deep, when you climb too high _  
_ On this wild, this wild ride _

Carefully Persephone watched the rise and fall of his chest and the flutter of his long white lashes as she continued to stroke his hair. She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his soft locks beneath her fingers.

_ Sleep tight, there are dreams you have not dreamed _  
_ And doors to worlds unopened _  
_ Don't fight, some questions aren't worth answering _  
_Some hearts that break aren't broken _

_ Is this what love is? _ she wondered. Pain when they’re hurting, and relief to know that they feel safe in your arms no matter what they’re going through? If that was the case, Persephone was in love, no doubt about it. She had no idea what the future held for either of them, but she knew in that moment that she would do anything for Hades.

_ When you’re in too deep, when you climb too high _  
_ On this wild, this wild ride _  
_ Don’t know what you’ll find_  
_On this wild, this wild ride_


End file.
